Skills initiative

The Howard Government will spend up big on addressing Australia's skills shortage. Is it enough? It is in time? And what should we do about foreign workers in the meantime?

This forum is now closed; here's what you said.

Posted
by SMH OnlineOctober 13, 2006 12:10 AM

LATEST COMMENTS

John Howard always waits till a problem cannot be denied any more and then he acts like a great leader. Always the hero rushing in at the last moment. Watch him save the world from global warming in 2007!

What are we going to train Howard to do after his political gig?
My pick is personnel trainer, he already has all the outfits so he could use the vochures money on making an exercise DVD!

Posted by: Joe M on October 13, 2006 6:03 AM

This is Howards answer, $839 Million over 5 yrs, doesn't really work out to much does it? We must be in election lead up for Howard to finally listen to the Australian community, wait for Howards backflip on climate. Howard has had 10yrs to do something about skills, but it is only doing something now. Why? Ah, because there is an election next year. It would seem that we have a skill crisis because the Howard govt. scratched the training schemes after he was elected in '96, and these training schemes have been left on the shelf since.
With most employers benefiting from the IR laws, which takes out penalty rates, overtime rates, why does Howard feel the need to give them more money to employ apprentices. Wouldn't this money benefit the workers and boost up the apprentices wages?
It's time for a govt. clean out, they are starting to run out of ideas and have started stealing part of the ALP policies.

Posted by: straylian on October 13, 2006 6:16 AM

So $3000 for a student, and $4000 for the boss to compensate for all that lost revenue. Only in John Howards world, no wonder Heather Ridout was smiling! Just a payout to his business mates. I can see the courses, shop assistant training, $3000 to learn to use a cash register, $4000 for hthe boss to go to Tahiti!

Posted by: Fast Eddie on October 13, 2006 6:17 AM

The training voucher initiatives are a sensible response to the mis-match between available and needed skills, as is the weekly apprenticeship subsidy. In a 35 yr career my various employers paid big money to retrain me at fairly frequent intervals, but I recollect they got a decent tax break to help fund such training.

Posted by: Buster Gutte on October 13, 2006 6:27 AM

Whats on offer will fix up Sydney, but what about the rest of the country.
Its a case of the policy of forced unemployment catching up.
AT LEAST KIM WON'T HAVE TO AGREE WITH HIS MATE JOHN THIS TIME.

Posted by: BARNEY on October 13, 2006 6:32 AM

It is good that Mr.Haward has atleast taken the opposion's skills cricis claim which they have been talking aboutfor one yesr or so and even released a policy docoment on board and spending a huge amount of money to rectify the situation.

The point is why don't we have a mutiparty government & stop copying.

Posted by: Tula Ram on October 13, 2006 7:39 AM

I graduated from UNSW Engineering and I've given up on looking for a Telecom Engineering career after 6 months of unemployment.

I'm now doing a masters in Finance at a different Uni. And I see at least 4 telecom eng students that graduated with me, re-skilling.

The problem isn't we're short on skills. Thats an easy assumption.

It's just bloody hard to penetrate the market fresh from Uni.

Employers weigh up, whether to spend money on a fresh Graduate and the chance that he could go off to another competitor.

Or alternatively look for a skilled Engineer with 2 years experience.

What Howard really should be doing is provide $5000 per employer incentives to train new graduates in Engineering or Science.

Most of the graduates, I know are happily sending me messages over from China. There goes the taxpayer's HECs, gone offshore.

Posted by: jim on October 13, 2006 8:03 AM

Mr Howard also needs to train employers that the mature employee are very capable employees. It is alright to want over 60s to continue working but if employers will not employ them how can they? Retraining doesn't work for them with this employer mindset but how do you prove it? Mr Howard's job is one of the very few that doesn't make age an issue. Him and his staff should remember that we are not all that lucky.

Posted by: Ellen Hutton on October 13, 2006 8:13 AM

Why waste MORE money on the unemployable?

I am sick of my taxes being wasted on the dregs of this country who have no work ethic.

Posted by: Jon on October 13, 2006 8:32 AM

Too little and much too late

Posted by: Bill Nisbet on October 13, 2006 8:38 AM

The current proposal does not help retrain people who have an education and are no longer employable in their previous careers. Too many strings attached to reareally make a difference.

Posted by: Paul Photios on October 13, 2006 8:40 AM

$3000 buys very little in terms of training....maybe one course or one or two subjects over a couple of trimesters.....
hardly sufficient to adequately skill a semi-literate, semi-inarticulate or semi-numerate employee

The answer is long term, government subsidised training for adults.

Rather them blaming these people because they are unemployed, consider why they left school early in the first place

Our schooling system is based on an outdated model in terms of learning styles and curriculum...the reality is that outside literacy, numeracy and verbal communication, most of the content taught in schools has only limited academic value.

Posted by: Jamie on October 13, 2006 8:54 AM

Of course there is a skills shortage, it's worldwide, and in Australia the problem is one the Howard Government is responsible for. I am one of the ONE MILLION skilled Australians who live and work overseas (no mention in press that Australia's brain drain is at epidemic level). Howard and Costello cleverly claim its their policies that have created full employment but not that its created skills shortage. If you stop trying to lower wages, conditions and overtaxing, you just might get some to come back and resolve the problem, and if you actually think about real new and relevant and marketable reskilling development and not worrying whether you should stay and do your HSC you might get somewhere. The government really is out of touch with the commercial reality on this whole issue. Why do we all head away overseas? it's the salaries stupid!

Posted by: John on October 13, 2006 9:04 AM

Whay are we spending taxpayers money on training lazy people anyhow? It's time people who want training benefits or need to be retrained to start paying for themselves. If Beasley & his mates had their way...taxpayers would be paying for every slacko or do-gooder cause in the country. Taking responsibility folks...it's a couple of words that some misguided young people should learn about

Posted by: bad billy on October 13, 2006 9:41 AM

There are lots of issues that are needed to be adressed by Mr. Howard. There are lots of social, family and health issues affecting australian community and Mr. Howard is waiting probably for the next few elections to address thesae issues.Howard could not fix the skill shortage problem until now even this is the third term for his government. The only reason is that there were other issues to raise during the last 3 elections. Now Howard is short of issues so this is the best time for him to raise the issue of skill shortage. Other issues he is keeping to raise for the next term elections are issues like aggressive behaviour in our children, disappearance of family values, drug problem in our youth etc. What is the use of growing economy where there is money but no happiness among families. Howard has made our society a political football.

Posted by: IMRAN AHMAD on October 13, 2006 9:44 AM

I take issue with the ALP (and others) stating that the skills shortage/crisis is the result of 10 years of neglect by the Howard government. Australia has only recently returned to levels of low employment after 30 years of economic under-performance. Ten years ago the focus was on getting unemployment DOWN. A skills shortage is the REVERSE of that problem and a recent one at that, so let's be reasonable about this.

Posted by: fbear on October 13, 2006 9:54 AM

This govt. lies. That's it, there is no nicer way to say it. On this issue, Howard has vehemently denied the skills shortage and then called it a "challenge". He then promises $870 million to deal with the particular challenge and blatantly steals the opposition's plans and policy. Let's face it, Howard is a consummate politician. He has repeatedly manipulated the electorate (bet you there will be some nice little cash bonus for the electorate just before the next election)and when challenged on issues where it was obvious he had lied, he denied it. Shit does not stick to this man! Why are people so ready to ignore the facts? Remember Tampa, WMD in Iraq, the AWB scandal? All lies. Some argue that he is a good PM and I would in some instances agree, however, all the good works that he has contributed to are totally negated by the lies that have been told when it suited him. Call me naive, but I thought one of the most important qualities in a leader is honesty. Come on, open your eyes and look at the truth. This govt. needs to answer some serious questions about it's integrity.

Posted by: Silvia on October 13, 2006 9:56 AM

fbear, skills training does not happen in a vacuum. The skills shortage has been developing for years due to the failure of the Howard government to invest in skills training. They in fact abolished quite a few of the previously successful training schemes. Now they are playing catch up. The investment in skills training was needed 5+ years ago and the skills shortage we are seeing now might jhave been avoided. There have been warnings for years about impending skills shortages and they chose to ignore tham.

Posted by: huh on October 13, 2006 10:11 AM

what happened to the 'old' system of technical colleges? where students , after finishing primary school, could go to study and learn a trade. other students could go to other high schools and study latin or history or home economics etc. etc. what is the point of teaching astudent french or algebra if they want to be a nurse or a plumber? politicians and their droves of 'advisors' are great at stuffing up proven methods. thank you.

Posted by: pippa on October 13, 2006 10:16 AM

fbear:

Only ignorant people buy into the Govt line that we have low unemployment compared to a few years ago. BECAUSE WE DON'T, ACTUALLY!!! a few years ago they just changed the statistical definition for 'unemployed', making it easier to say that someone is 'employed'.

While in other countries, 'employed' means working more than 15 hours per week, in Australia it means working more than 1 hour per week. That means that a person working 3 hours per week is 'employed', even if they are desperately searching for full time work and living on the poverty line. The reason it's usually set much higher than 1 hour is in recognition that unemployment statistics should be used to show who actually needs help and to drive policy, not to cover up a problem and make the Government look good.

Underemployment is a huge problem for the unskilled, but noone does anything about it - the Govt even gives the ability to employers to pay their casual and part time workers even less.

Posted by: tarama on October 13, 2006 10:18 AM

I'm currently one of a handful of forward thinking individuals completeing a Masters in Sustainable Development.
I will have to go offshore to find work at the end of it thanks to our non-progressive, short-focused government (at all levels).

On one hand they complain about a skills shortage while on the other they are trying to simplify the education system and making it ever harder to attend university. Nothing should be seen in isolation, everything effects everything else.

We have leaders that do what ever the public wants, instead of actually displaying any amount of leadership. If we wanted this we might as well live under mob-rule, each person for themselves.

ATTENTION HONOURABLE MEMBERS:
Wake up and actually lead this country by doing what is in its best interest, not yours and your mates.

Posted by: Matthew on October 13, 2006 10:18 AM

Hey John:

Bang on, mate.

Couldn't have said it better myself.
Little Johnny has a problem with skills?

Really?

How about making it interesting for skilled people to come back to work? It's market forces, you know: if there is demand, cost goes up.

Or is that "free market" crap he keeps pushing yet another case of convenient lip service?

Posted by: Noons on October 13, 2006 10:26 AM

Silvia you hit the nail on the head there. With the huge cuts to TAFE funding the lack of apprentices is finally coming around to bite us on the bum in a major fashion.

If you think the situation is bad in Sydney try living in rural / regional Australia. It took us 12 months to secure an electrician and that situation is getting worse as many are now moving to Qld and WA as they are getting paid an obscene amount of money to work in the mines leaving regional Australia in an even bigger mess than itís already is. Telstra has been savage in itís firing of technicians with the resultant loss in Services, Power, Water & construction are all following suit.
Once you get away from the regional major cities you can expect an internet line speed of around 9 to 14 kbs 33.6 if your close to a major centre.
Mobile phone coverage? What mobile phone coverage outside of the major centres?
You get some with Telstra but you have no consumer choice itís Telstra or Telstra with their unacceptably high charge rates miserable staff & take it or lump it attitude.

If the tradies of this country turned around en-mass and refused to fix blocked toilets, do electrical or building work for politicians at their home residences I am sure a lot more funding would come out of Canberra faster than the drivel from their collective snivelling mouths.
Or we could send in a language / standards poor imported cut price worker on a 457 visa to do a really botched job.

Posted by: nige on October 13, 2006 10:27 AM

At the least this is a start which can be progressively increased, but, it will only be a worthwhile action if the TAFE Fees are pegged or controlled.
However, we must not confine such actions to this area alone at the expense of other areas requiring attention, PARTICULARLY, in the area of Dental Health to turn around the disgusting waiting lists among the aged who have, in one way or other contributed to the growth of this Country and it`s Economy.

Posted by: Martin on October 13, 2006 10:33 AM

When I saw Beazley responding I was alarmed at the panic in his voice as he realised that he has blown another election. Likewise Sharon Burrows who has also realised that she has wasted all that Union money on a dishonest advertising campaign re the IR.
Meanwhile unemployment is at a 30 year low, what part of 4.5% does Beazley and Combet not understand.

Posted by: Syd on October 13, 2006 10:40 AM

fbear,

So you then have taken issue with the former RBA governor Ian McFarlane, because he said it too. When are people going to wake up. Stop believing everything he takes credit for, for being his idea and when things go bad, he plays the blame game. If you don't believe me, just watch the news up to the election.

Posted by: straylian on October 13, 2006 10:44 AM

Well here we go again the grate clown act, Howard at his best more bandages the big problem started when he was under the frazer government .Then howard tride to start with his his grand plain in economics In getting rid of government asset's and squash the work force's wages and conditions But frazer in his wisdom sore how bad his hole plain was and frazer firer'd him as the then Treasurer? And now we are seeing fist hand at what frazer was so frightend of. It has been a joint effort by Howard and Costello to carry out howards grand plain ,I dident think i would live to see it ?my farther train'd me to be then a bricklayer which i spent not just 4 years to learn, howard has destroyd all of that. Maybe we all should grow Bannana's ,And work out how we could make hat's and clothes? thatal fix the Economy and we would all live happerly ever after. Austrailan's we nead to wake up and start using the gift of thought. Thay say the devil is red and has a fork but we were rong we are seeing it first hand .We need a fresh change ?

Posted by: brian Lakeman on October 13, 2006 11:03 AM

howard has no interest in training the youth of australia. His only interest is one of one-up-manship to labour. He is a meglamaniac with delousions of grandure. Give it up Johnny we're all tired of your strutting with you little taxan friend.

Posted by: carole on October 13, 2006 11:05 AM

As usual too little too late and then claiming the higher ground saying he is doing somthing about it and it is all under control. He just wants us to feel relaxed and comfortable. Sounds familiar, yeah just trust him.

Wait for the next backflip and see how he tries to con us that he is doing something about global warming. He has already rejected Kyoto, given huge incentives to the oil companies while doing little in investing in alternative technology.

Just wait as the election nears he will do the same routine by dreaming some half baked measure (again - too little too late) in response to the drought through climate change where he is forced to do something about it. Then hoodwinking us that he has always has been doing something about it.

The seeds of this can already be seen with this so called water initiave that Turnbull is involved in.

Just standard procedures when an issue starts to rise in political decibels.

They don't call him a master at this game for nothing.

Just do yourselves a favour and don't get sucked into it as the majority has done so in the past.

Mug Citizen

Posted by: john on October 13, 2006 11:10 AM

Labour claims the government has taken their policies and then starts bagging what the government implements? No wonder they can't win power.

Posted by: S on October 13, 2006 11:13 AM

Blame for the skills shortage can be apotioned equally between the Australian Industry Group and the Howard Government.

Heather Rideout and the AIG members should have shared some of the massive profits they have enjoyed over the last few years by investing in training. This would be better than blabbering about the need to rob workers with draconian IR laws which serve only to fill AIG members fat pockets.

Kim Beazley is right. The Reserve bank and Labor have been giving the skills shortage a high profile for years now. Furthermore, I have never heard the Reserve bank call for anything like the Work Choices IR laws in order to address this problem.

Posted by: Charlie Mclean on October 13, 2006 11:28 AM

we want comrades, a strong union when we need one. we also want highly skilled indian mirgrants, they are highly productive.

Posted by: 13988 on October 13, 2006 12:39 PM

i have a science degree and now, at 31 hope to study nursing. i am not able to get any assistance at all. how can this be?

Posted by: wizz on October 13, 2006 12:51 PM

Always beware of Liberals bearing gifts.

The Howard proposals are a handout to business people to encourage them to downgrade(and hense pay less for) the skills that their employees already have ( as if they needed any encouragement). It goes hand in hand with Howard's insidious strategy to drive the Australian lifestyle back to the stone age.

All of this money should be given to TAFE to create new places for the young and ambitious while steps are taken to streamline the apprenticeship system.

If you were asked to study 20 hours a week, sit exams, all of the stresses of accademic study, while working 20 hours a week, earning a pittance, for 4 years, all for the prospect of a position at the bottom of the ladder, with your skills derided, would you jump at the oportunity? This is the reality for many apprentices. Given this it is a wonder that there are any apprentices at all.

Massive barriers to entry have been erected for most occupations let alone professions. The first barrier is the expense and time taken to achieve the qualification, always expected to be a sacrifice on the part of the recipient, or more likely the recipients parents. Howard's offer is a token attempt to compensate people for this investment in time and money which, at present, takes too long to be repayed in the economy.

These are bandaid fixes for embedded problems for which the means but obviously not the will exist.

Bring on Kim Beazley.

Posted by: tom Yeats on October 13, 2006 1:36 PM

I gritted my teeth in anger as I sat through yet another Today Tonight report with Joe Hockey asserting that Australian welfare recipients were just lazy, and responsible for the alleged skills shortages.

John Howard has done too little and acted too late. His departments have been complacent and ignored earlier criticism of the policies that drive Centrelink and the Job Network.

The Commonwealth Ombudsman had already been alerted to the fact that the Work for the Dole programs were vocationally irrelevant, yet it has taken until 2006 for Dr Sharman Stone to consider transforming the program so that it upskills the unemployed.

Mutual obligation has been around since 1996 and the Job Network since 1999. The government has had 10 years to do something and has failed in its obligation to recognise and tackle employer related barriers to entry, and the continued failings of the Job Network.

It is only because of the upcoming election and business and community disquiet over skills shortages and short term visas that he is finally listening.

The whole ethos behind Centrelink and the Job Network is that jobseeker motivation is the sole reason why they are jobless.

The deskilling of the labourforce over the past decade is a larger problem than Howard realises, and is going to require a significant overhaul of existing federal government policies which I doubt he will commit to.